Come Back for Me (Arrowood Brothers #1)(9)

Then I think about the woman living next door, the one who I’ve dreamed of for eight fucking years, who is now married and has a kid.

I can’t stay around here. I’ll want to see her again, to find out if everything I created in my mind is true.

Jacob leans back in his chair and points the bottle at me. His head is now shaved thanks to the new role he was cast for. “You’re the only one who’s a wild card, Connor.”

“Me?”

Jacob is the closest in age to me. He and I also look the most alike. So many times people thought we were twins. He and I are both six-foot-two, have dark brown hair, and green eyes. We’re also both the biggest assholes in the group.

“Yeah, you have nothing to go back to, no offense, kid.”

I really hate that they still see me as the little brother who is gullible and needs these three asshats to protect him. They don’t see that I’m a fucking Navy SEAL or that I’ve fought in a war, been shot at, shot people, and could destroy all of them if I wanted to.

“I have plenty.”

Sean shrugs. “You’re getting out of the navy, you have nowhere to live and no job. I mean, maybe you should take the farm until you get on your feet.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Declan, the traitor, says.

“The fuck it’s not!”

That would completely destroy my plan of getting out of this fucking town. Too many memories that I’ve worked so hard to forget have been rearing their ugly heads since I’ve been back.

“All we’re saying is that it might give you something to have for a bit. We all know you’re the handiest of us,” Jacob tries to explain. “We all agree there’s a ton of work that needs to be done, it makes sense. What about his leg, though?”

I huff and then chug my beer before answering. I’m full of anger and disgust that they’d suggest I stay in this house. Each time one of my brothers went off to live their life, my father grew worse. He drank more, punched harder, and I hated everything in this town a bit more.

My good times were almost nonexistent. The only memory I have that I hold on to is the night with my angel.

But, like all angels, she doesn’t belong here anymore than I do. She is meant for more, and that more sure as fuck isn’t some broken ex-SEAL who has been dreaming of a married woman. She had told me she wanted to fly, which was why we never even told each other our names.

She clearly didn’t fly far, though. In fact, she got married and had a kid less than a year after our night together. Clearly, I held on to that memory far stronger than she did.

“His leg is fine, he’s healed, just not fit enough for duty,” Declan tacks on.

No, not fit for duty and definitely not staying here.

“Yo, are you listening?” Sean jabs me.

“Not to you idiots.”

He releases a heavy sigh, looking away. “Jacob has a point, the farm needs work, you need a life, and all of us have things on our plates.”

“Oh, so I’m just the one with nothing else to do?”

“Pretty much,” Declan responds.

Now I remember why I hate being around the three of them.

“I’m not staying in this town.”

Declan puts his beer down and turns to face me. “Why? He’s dead. He can’t hurt you.”

No, but something else could—the possibility of more.

“Then why don’t you want to be here?” I challenge. “We both know why, and it has nothing to do with our father.”

It’s a beautiful blonde who stood at my father’s grave and then left before he could even speak to her.

“Fuck off, Connor.”

“You fuck off, Dec. You want me to be here, dealing with it all, when you’re unwilling to do the same damn thing?”

“Once we sell the farm, none of us have to ever be here again,” Sean tries to mediate the situation. “It makes sense, Connor. If you stay, you can work on cleaning up the farm, you have no plans, while Jacob has to get back to Hollywood, Declan needs to get back to New York, and I’m in the middle of spring training and have to return to Tampa to meet with the team.”

If I weren’t so angry that they were making sense, I would keep fighting. But they’re right. I have nothing to rush back to once I sign my discharge papers.

“Let’s sell it and get whatever we can,” I suggest.

Sean shakes his head. “No. This is all we get, and there’s no way the four of us should unload it for the sake of unloading it. Not when one of us has time and is more than capable of getting it to the point where we can make double. We’re not talking chump change, Connor. We’re talking about millions.”

I groan and rub the back of my neck. “I’m not agreeing to this.”

Declan shrugs as though he has not a care in the world. “I’m not worried. He’ll see that we’re right.”

“Or a bunch of assholes.”

Sean grins. “We already know that.”

“We meet with the lawyer tomorrow.” Declan’s voice is firm and authoritative, which makes me want to punch him in the throat. “After that, we’ll decide what we’re doing. For now, let’s let Connor stew while we all drink.”

I flip them off, hating that my brothers think they know me so well. Jokes on them because my mind isn’t completely on the farm, a small part of it is on the woman and her little girl next door.